Contemporary design on the Amalfi coast — that alone makes La Minervetta worth noting. And we’re not using “contemporary” as a euphemism for that faceless minimal international style, either; you’ll find little in the way of greys or cream tones in La Minervetta’s twelve guest rooms. Rather than monochrome and minimal, they’re bright and sunny — literally, as they’re open to the light, with views through full-length windows over Sorrento, the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, and figuratively as well, clean-lined and decked out in vivid tones, anywhere from lime green and turquoise to simple, almost Nordic primary colors. Hardwood floors and designer fixtures and furnishings are hardly revolutionary, of course, but against this backdrop, the effect is novel indeed. It’s refreshing to find a hotel in this part of the country that’s not selling an idyllic fantasy of pre-modern Italian life. And yet just off La Minervetta’s doorstep is everything the Amalfi coast is famous for: the picturesque old town, the marina, and the ferries to Capri or Naples, where there’s plenty of postcard Italy to be seen. The hotel’s terrace alone is almost worth the visit, the perfect venue for breakfast with a view, or a soak in the plunge pool, looking out over the cliffside towards Vesuvius.